Track structure for railroads and the like



Dec- 14, 96 N. K. MOSES ETAL TRACK STRUCTURE FOR RAILROADS AND THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 15, 1963 h l llq Dec. 14, 1965 N. K. MOSES ETAL 3,223,328

TRACK STRUCTURE FOR RAILROADS AND THE LIKE Filed A ril'ls, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I V 6a r'ii ATTORNEYS Dec. 14, 1965 N. K. MOSES ETAL 3,223,328

TRACK STRUCTURE FOR RAILHOADS AND THE LIKE Filed April 15, 1963 I5 Sheets-Sheet S INVENTORS M450 K /%5 ATTORNEYLS United States Patent 3,223,328 TRACK STRUCTURE FOR RAILROADS AND THE LlKE Nelson K. Moses, Ashtabula, Ghio, and Robert A. Mc-

Clung, West Palm Beach, Fla, assignors to Railroad Permanent Way Products Corp., Ashtabula, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Fiied Apr. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 273,135 13 Claims. (Cl. 238) The present invention relates to an improved track structure for railroads or the like and, more particularly, to a track structure and component parts thereof which is capable of supporting trains travelling at speeds in the order of 200 miles per hour.

For many years it has been the standard practice to support traction rails by mounting them on wooden cross ties with steel tie plates being placed between the wooden cross ties and the rails. Spikes passing through holes in the tie plate and into the wooden ties, with the head of the spike bearing against the base flange of the rails, held the rails upon the ties. Often times mechanical rail anchors were necessary in order to prevent longitudinal creeping of rails caused by dynamic loads imposed thereon by rolling stock.

In recent years, improvements to track structures have been made wherein rubber pads were positioned between the tie plates and the ties and rubber rail seats were positioned between the rails and the tie plates. Such track structures cushioned impact loads and reduced the severe and destructive wear on the tie plates and/or ties. Further efiorts have been made to form the road bed of poured concrete and then provide a slab of concrete poured on the road bed for taking the place of the wooden ties. While such efiforts have been an improvement over the standard practice of supporting traction rails upon wooden cross ties with steel tie plates positioned therebetween, they have not been satisfactory from a structural standpoint in providing a track structure capable of properly supporting railroad rolling structure moving at extremely high speeds, for example, speeds in the order of 200 miles per hour.

The present invention contemplates the provision of an improved track structure and the component parts thereof which will not only serve to cushion impact loads of rolling stock, to thereby increase longevity of the track structure but will further provide a track structure capable of use with railway rolling stock travelling at speeds in the order of 200 miles per hour.

Railway travel is being modernized so as to compete with other modes of transportation. New high speed equipment is being developed and built but the use of such equipment is now handicapped as the present track structures are not capable of withstanding the loads imposed by the equipment at high speeds. In other words, such new rolling stock is only operating at a percentage of its design speed as the existing track structures do not permit the same to be safely operated at speeds for which they were designed. Since track structures are costly to install and maintain, the track structures must be such that they will require little or no maintenance for at least fifty years to make it worthwhile for conversion of current rail systems to a system for high speed rolling stock. With a renaissance in rail transportation just becoming a reality, the present invention was conceived and is currently replacing the existing track structures as they need replacement as well as being installed in new roads in order that the high speed rolling stock now being developed and used can be operated at maximum efiiciency and, thus, compete economically with other modes of transportation.

An object of the present invention relates to an im- 3,223,328 Patented Dec. 14, 1965 proved track structure for railroad, rapid transit systems or the like which may be used with road beds of loose ballast or of concrete and which is less costly to install and maintain.

Ancillary to the preceding object, it is a further object of the present invention to provide a track structure utilizing low cost precast and prestressed concrete beams on a road bed of loose ballast or concrete, the precast prestressed concrete beams being rigidly tied together to effectively form a rail supporting structure which can be easily installed and is permanent in nature thereby greatly reducing general installation and maintenance expenditures.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a track structure for high speed rolling stock in which all rocking motion and vibration is eliminated or reduced to a minimum.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a track structure utilizing precast prestressed concrete beams for the rail supporting structure, the beams being capable of manufacture in situ by using portable prestressing forms with concrete plants mounted on mobile flat cars and transported to the site of construction as the track structure is being laid. It is also an object to make the concrete beams of such size and shape that they can be made off location and transporated by rail or truck to the site of the installation.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a track structure of the character described utilizing an improved spring steel rail clip for anchoring the rails to the rail supporting structure, the spring steel clip being so arranged as to reduce the tendency for the clip to fracture under repeated loads or for the clip to shear its holddown bolt.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a spring steel rail clip for use with resilient rail seats, the clip having a bearing area of substantially the entire length of the rail sea Another object of the present invention is to provide a spring steel rail clip for rail track structures, the clip being capable of use with an armored or continuous insulated joint bar such as disclosed in the prior United States Patent No. 2,670,136, granted February 23, 1954, to Nelson K. Moses.

A further object of the present invention is to provide and improved steel tie or rail plate for use with an improved steel rail clip, the tie or rail plate having means thereon cooperating with the rail clip to prevent movement of the rail clip laterally away from the rail and its resilient rail seat if such a seat is used.

Ancillary to the preceding object, it is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved steel rail plate having means thereon cooperating with the base flange of the rail, or with the resilient rail seat if such is used, to accurately position the rail plate and prevent the same from any movement about a vertical axis during installation, thus eliminating anchoring bolts for the rail plate.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a novel track structure utilizing a resilient rail seat, spring steel rail cli s, and a steel rail plate, the clips being arranged on opposite sides of the rail seats and cooperating with the rail plate to provide a wedging action on the rail seats to thereby more tightly hold the rail seat and rail on the rail plate.

Ancillary to the preceding object, the present invention provides a track structure with a resilient rail seat which elastically absorbs the destructive force of shock impact and vibration and a spring steel clip to dampen any remaining high frequency vibrations which would normally be transmitted into the hold-down bolt and rail foundation support thereby eliminating any rail creep, loose fastenings, working joints, and excessive maintenance.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved track structure which costs no more to install per mile of track than previous rail structures utilizing wood ties, the time for installation being considerably less than the time for installation of heretofore conventional wood tie track structures.

Ancillary to the preceding object, it is a further object of the present invention to provide a track structure, which though permanent in nature, may be quickly and easily disassembled and removed and reused.

These and further objects and advantages of the present invention will appear more fully in the following specification, claims and drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a perspective view partly in cross section and partly broken away showing a track structure made in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view partly in section and illustrating the anchoring of the traction rail to elongated precast prestressed concrete beams;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view illustrating in detail the anchoring of the track rail to the precast prestressed elongated beam as well as illustrating in detail the connection between the precast prestressed cross beams and the elongated beams;

FIGURE 4 is an exploded view of the end of one of the precast prestressed cross beams used to tie together the longitudinally extending or rail supporting concrete beams;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a spring steel rail clip of the present invention in its free state;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating the spring steel rail clip of FIGURE 5 in the bolted down position in full lines and in its free state in broken lines; I

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of spring steel rail clips having an enlarged or elongated lip in its plan elevation;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of a still further modication of the spring steel rail clip adapted for use with an armed or insulated rail plate;

FIGURE 9 is a perspective View of the steel tie or rail plate illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2; and

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of a modification of the steel rail plate of FIGURE 9.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like character or reference numerals represent like parts and in particular to FIGURE 1, the track structure generally designated at 10 of the present invention is disclosed as supported on a road bed 12. The road bed 12 is illustrated as being made of the usual loose ballast of stone, it being understood that it is suitably levelled to receive the track structure 10. The road bed 12 may be a concrete slab or any other level surface capable of supporting the heavy loads imposed by the track structure 10. The track structure 10 includes rows of elongated precast prestressed concrete beams 14 tied together as a rigid structure by precast prestressed concrete cross beams 16. Each of the rows is provided with a plurality of the elongated beams 14 laid in end-to-end abutting relationship on the road bed. A

While the elongated concrete beams 14 shown in the drawing are straight, of course, it will be understood that where a curve in the track is desired, the beams can be suitably curved to a desired radius for the curve. Each row of concrete beams 14 supports one traction rail 18 of the usual type having a base flange 20. The means for holding or supporting the track rails on the beams 14 will be discussed in more detail later in the specification.

Each of the elongated precast prestressed concrete beams 14 is approximately 39 feet in length and is made with a female end 22 and a male end 24 so that when they are laid in abutting end-to-end relationship, there can be no sidewise movement of one beam with respect to another. The beams 14 are provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending steel reinforcing cables or rods 26, which are prestressed prior to or after the pouring of concrete to form the beam. The prestressed cables or rods 26 are each prestressed for example to a tension of 14,000 pounds for longitudinal beams and they are additionally reinforced with a No. 5 gauge steel spiral tie 28 having a 6 inch pitch provided over the full length of the beam, the spiral ties preventing lateral or vertical misalignment of the prestressed strands of cables or rods 26. After the cables or rods 26 have been bonded into position by the spiral ties 28 on the 6 inch pitch throughout the length to which the beam is to be made, the concrete is poured into the form and the beam is cast.

By carefully controlling the mix of concrete, a minimumcompressive strength is placed on the beam by prestressing cables or rods 26 in the amount of 5000 pounds per square inch after 28 days whereas the ultimate prestress loading of the finished beam is 727 pounds per square inch.

The beams 14 have an upper surface 30 which may be provided with a 1 inch in 40 inch cant or other, if desired. The side walls 32 of the beams slope downward and outwardly from the top surface 30 whereas the bottom wall 34 lies in a horizontal plane. If the beams are to be used for railroad use they have a vertical height of 16 inches whereas if the beams are to be used in an urban rapid transit system they have a vertical height of 8 inches. Normally, the lateral dimension or width of the upper surface of beams 14 is 14 /2 inches whereas the lateral dimension or width of the bottom surface is 24 inches.

The concrete cross beam 16 is also prestressed and precast and is provided with a plurality of prestressed reinforcing steel rods or cables 36, which are suitably placed in the prestressing form prior to pouring of the concrete. The rods 36 extend through the length of the cross beam 16 and project out of each end of the same. Each end of the cross beam 16 is slope-d as shown at 38 in FIG- URES 3 and 4, and it is provided with a steel plate 40. In more detail, steel plate 40 is provided with suitable holes 42 therein for receiving the projecting ends of the rods 36. The rods 36 are then welded to the plate 40 so that the plate 40 becomes a permanent part of the cross beam 16 and effectively caps the same.

As mentioned above, the cross beam 16 is provided with sloping end walls 38 each having a slope complementary to the slope of the respective side walls 32 of the beams 14 in the rows of beams. As will best be understood from reference to FIGURES 1, 3, and 4, the cross beam 16 is bolted to the respective beams 14. In more detail, the steel plate 40 forming an end cap for the cross beam 16 is provided with ears 44 which extend beyond the sides of the cross beam 16, the ears defining bolt-receiving slots 46. Suitable expander bolts 48 extending through the slots 46 and into the concrete beams 14 hold the beams 14 and the cross beams 16 rigid. It is preferable to provide a resilient pad 50 between the ends of the cross beams 16 and the side walls 32 of the respective beams 14 to further assist the dampening of any shock, impact or vibration and to provide a final and accurate gauge adjustment. As will be explained in more detail later in the specification, there will be very little if any vibration at this point as such vibration will have already been absorbed or eliminated by the means of retaining the rails 18 on the beams 14.

The above-described connection of the cross beams 16 to the elongated beams 14 is primarily used in confined areas such as tunnels and the like where there isnt sufficient room to work on the outside of the track structure 10. However, in open areas, the cross beams 16 may be provided with a hole 52 extending throughout its length and mating with holes 54 and 56 in the steel plate 40 and resilient pad 50. The hole 52 may be formed by a tubular steel pipe 56 which remains in the cross beam after the concrete is poured or it may be formed by a suitable form that can be removed. Each of the concrete beams 14 is provided with transversely extending holes 60 therethrough, the holes 60 being adapted to align with the hole 52 in the cross beam 16 when the cross beam is properly positioned between the beams 14. A steel tie rod or bar 62 extending through the cross beam 16 and the respective elongated beams 14 and out of the ends of the latter is provided with threaded ends for receiving nuts 64 and a bearing plate 66. The tie rod or bar 62 is generally used in open locations where there is sufiicient room to insert the tie bar through the core of the cross beam 16 as well as the holes 613 in the beams 14. However, the tie rod or bar type of connection just previously described and the connector bolt connection may both be used when it is desired to have an even stronger connection between the cross beam 16 and with the respectiv elongated beams 14.

While the drawings disclose the cross beams 16 as having a vertical height less than the height of the elongated beams 14 it is, of course, within the scope of the present invention that the cross beam may have the same height as the beams 14. Any desired number of cross beams 16 may be used between a pair of 39 feet long elongated beams 14, but it has been found that four of such beams suitably anchored to the respective elongated beams 14 is suflicient to provide adequate strength and suflicient rigidity to the supporting structure for the traction rails 18.

Since the elongated concrete beams 14 are supported along their full length by the road bed 12, the shear on the beams 14 is negligible and it has been found that such beams are capable of carrying at any one point 61,700 pounds, which provides a considerable margin of safety beyond the amount of stress normally encountered.

The upper surface 30 of each of the elongated beams 14 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced recesses 68 (FIGURE 2). Each of the recesses 68 receives a resilient pad 7%} and at least a portion of a steel rail plate 72. For example, the recess 68, which usually extends laterally across the upper surface 36 of the beam 14 and which has an 8 inch length has a depth of approximately a quarter of an inch. When an eighth inch thick pad 7% and a inch thick rail plate 72 are positioned in the recess 68, the rail pad has at least an eighth of an inch of its thickness support within the recess 68.

The steel rail plate 72 as best shown in FIGURES 2 and 9, is provided with upturn flanges 74 and 76 struck from its outer longitudinal edges. The plate 72 is provided with holes 78 for receiving mounting bolts 80 which may be of the expander type or other. The bolts 8i) hold the plate 72 and the pad '78 in position on the upper surface 36 of the beams 14. There are a plurality of such pads 70 and plates 72 positioned along the length of the beams 14, for example about every ten inches.

The traction rail 18 is supported on the steel plates 72 on beams 14 by resilient rail seats 82 each having a rail flange base receiving cavity 84. The portions of each resilient rail seat 82 which extend over the upper surface of the rail base flange 20 are provided with an outwardly facing groove 8-5 (FIGURE 6) for receiving the lip 88 of a spring steel clip 90.

The spring steel clip 90, shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, has its lip portion 88 extending upwardly in its free state at an angle of approximately 20 degrees to the horizontal as shown in the broken lines of FIGURE 6. The lip portion 88 extends from an upper body portion 92 of the clip which is provided with a bolt hole 94 therethrough. A curved portion 96 extends downwardly from the upper body portion 92 and reversely therefrom and is connected to a lower body or flat base portion 98. The flat base portion 98 is provided with a bolt hole 100 which is aligned axially with the bolt hole 94 in the upper body portion 92. An upwardly extending portion 102 connected to the flat base portion 98 is provided at its upper end with an inwardly extending flange 104. When the spring steel clip 90 is bolted down by a bolt 108, the flange 164 has a length sufiicient to permit its free edge 165 to abut the shank 106 of the bolt 108 extending through the bolt holes 94 and 160 and into the beam 14. It will be noted that the upwardly extending portion 102 extends from the base portion 98 outwardly of the clip 98 at an angle of approximately 5 degrees to the vertical. Further, it will be noted that in the free state of the clip 90 the upper surface of the inwardly turned flange 104 is spaced from the lower surface of the upper body portion 92. When the clip is fastened to the beam 14, on the upper surface of the rail plate 72, with its lip extending into the groove 86 of the rail seat 82, the bolt 168, which may be an expander type of bolt, is drawn down so as to move the clip from the dotted line position of FIGURE 2 to the rail position of FIGURE 6. It is important to note that the upper surface of the inwardly turned flange abuts against the lower surf-ace of the upper body portion 92 and that the inner free edge of the flange 104 engages the shank 106 of the bolt 108. By having the flange engage the shank 196 of the bolt 108 there is in effect twice the thickness of clip 90 engaging the bolt as the portion of the bolt which extends through the hole 94- is also engaging the clip. It has been found that by such a construction, the shearing action of the clip on the bolt 168 is materially reduced. Also, by having the curved portion 96 extending well outwardly of the shank 1% of the bolt 108, it being abutted by the upturned flange 74 of the steel plate 72, there is less chance Io fatigue in the clip at the point of reverse curvature of the same. When one clip 90 is used on one side of a rail and another clip 9% is used on the other side of the rail as shown in FIGURE 2, the slope of 5 degrees provided on the upwardly extending portion 102 ensures a wedging action against the rail seat 82 and base flange 29 of the traction rail 18.

Referring now to FIGURE 7, a modification of the clip shown in FIGURE 5 is disclosed. The clip 90' is identical to the clip 90 with the exception that the upwardly extending lip 88' as viewed in plan has a width greater than the width of the upper body portion 92 and the lower base portion 98. The lip 88' has a width so that when it is inserted into the groove 8% of the resilient rail seat 32 it will extend along substantially the entire length of the rail seat and thereby provides a better seating or clamping acion along the entire rail seat.

FIGURE 8 discloses a still further modification of spring steel clips. The spring steel clip 90'' is shown with a lip 88" which extends from the upper body portion 92 downwardly, the lip 83" terminating outwardliy of the upwardly extending portion 132. The clip 90 is especially adapted for use in armored or insulated joint bars such as disclosed in the aforementioned Moses patent, No. 2,679,136, and is adapted to have the edge portion of the free end of the lips 88" engage the outwardly extending flanges on the joint bars of the armor-ed or insulated joint.

FIGURE 10 discloses a modified form of steel plate 72' which is provided with the previ-osuly described upturned flanges 7-2 and 76. In addition, the steel plate 72' which is received on the pad is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed upturned flanges 110 and 112 which are positioned inwardly of the flanges 74 and 76 and which have a distance between themselves equal to the maximum width of the rail seat 82. By providing the upturned flanges 110 and 112, the steel plate 72' is held in position within the recess 68 of the beam 14 without the necessity of hold down bolts as the flanges 116 and 112 receive the rail base flange and resilient rail seat thcrebetween. The flanges 74 and 76 of the cruciform type of steel plate 72' serve the same functions as the flanges 74 and 76 of the plate 72 in that they abut the outer curve portion 96 of the clip 90.

Throughout the specification, the pads 50 and 70 of the rail seat 82 have been referred to as resilient. Such components of the track structure are preferably made of a primary ingredient of natural rubber having the usually fillers, accelerators, catalysts and a secondary ingredient of neoprene. While it is preferably that the material for these component parts be 70% natural rubber and 30% neoprene, it is also within the scope of the present invention to make such components of natural rubber, synthetic rubber, or other elastomeric materials.

As is now apparent, the present invention provides a new and novel type of track structure and component parts therefor which fully satisfies the advantages and objects of the invention heretoforedescribed in the specification and disclosed in the drawings. However, certain modifications may be made without departing rom the spirit of the invention and therefore the terminolog used in the specification is for the purposes of description and not limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a rail track construction for supporting traction rails on a road *bed, the combination comprising: spaced rows of elongated precast reinforced concrete beams supported on the road bed, each of the rows having the elongated beams therein arranged in abutting end-to-end relationship, said elongated beams having interengaging male and female ends for preventing sidewise movement of one beam with respect to another, each of said elongated beams having an upper surface, a bottom surface resting on said road bed, and flat inside wall portions that slope downwardly and outwardly; a plurality of precast concrete cross beams, each of the cross beams having a top surface, a bottom surface, and oppositely disposed ends which are continuous between the top and bottom surfaces of the cross beams, said ends sloping inwardly complementary in slope to the downwardly and outwardly sloping inside wall portions of the elongated beams, said cross beams being spaced from each other and each extending between oppositely disposed downwardly and outwardly sloping inside wall portions of oppositely disposed elongated beams in the spaced rows of elongated beams, means for connecting each cross beam to said downwardly and outwardly sloping inside wall portions of said oppositely disposed elongated beams in said spaced rows such that said cross beam ends abut against said inside wall portions, and means for anchoring a traction rail along the upper surface of the elongated concrete beams of each row.

2. In a rail track construction for supporting traction rails on a road bed, the combination comprising: spaced rows of elongated precast reinforced concrete beams supported on the road bed, each of the rows having the elongated beams therein arranged in abutting end-to-end relationship, each of said elongated beams having an upper surface and downwardly and outwardly sloping side walls; a plurality of precast concrete cross beams, each of the cross beams having oppositely disposed sloping ends complementary in slope to the sloping side walls of the elongated beams, said cross beams being spaced from each other and each extending between oppositely disposed side walls of the spaced rows of elongated beams, means for anchoring a traction rail along the upper surface of the elongated concrete beams of each row, each of said concrete cross beams including rein-forcing rods extending therethrough and projecting out of each end thereof and steel plates rigidly secured to the projecting reinforcing rods of each end, said steel plates capping each oppositely disposed end, each of said steel plates having ear portions thereof extending laterally outwardly of the cross beam and defining bolt-receiving slots, and means for connecting each cross beam to oppositely disposed elongated beams in said spaced rows including bolt and anchoring means engaging the ear portions of said steel plates and anchored into the elongated beams.

3. A rail track construction as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of said concrete cross beams is provided with a longitudinally extending hole therein and wherein oppositely disposed elongated beams in said rows are provided with transversely extending holes therethrough aligning with the hole in said cross beam, and wherein said means for connecting each cross beam includes a tie bar extending through the aligned holes in said cross beam and the respective elongated beams, said tie bar being provlded with bolt means at its ends for connecting the cross beam between respective elongated beams.

4. In a rail track construction for supporting traction rails on a road bed, the combination comprising: spaced rows of elongated precast reinforced concrete beams supported on the road bed, each of the rows having the elongated beams therein arranged in abutting end-to-end relationship, each of said elongated beams having an upper surface and downwardly and outwardly sloping side walls; a plurality of precast concrete cross beams, each of the cross beams having oppositely disposed sloping ends complementary in slope to the sloping side walls of the elongated beams, said cross beams being spaced from each other and each extending between oppositely disposed side walls of the spaced rows of elongated beams, means for anchoring a traction rail along the upper surface of the elongated concrete beams of each row, each of said concrete cross beams including reinforcing rods extending therethrough and projecting out of each end thereof and steel plates rigidly secured to the projecting reinforcing rods of each end, said steel plates capping each oppositely disposed end, each of said steel plates having ear portions thereon extending laterally outwardly of the cross beam and defining bolt receiving slots, each of the oppositely disposed elongated beams in said rows having a transversely extending hole therethrough aligning with the longitudinal hole in said cross beam, and means for connecting each cross beam to the oppositely disposed elongated beams in said spaced rows including bolt and anchoring means engaging the ear portions of each steel plate and anchored in the elongated beams, and a tie bar extending through the aligned holes in each cross beam in the respective oppositely disposed elongated beams, said tie bar being provided with bolt means at each of its ends for bearing against the outer wall of the oppositely disposed elongated beams.

5. A rail track construction as defined in claim 4 including a rubber pad interposed between the steel plates on the end of the cross beam and the sloping side walls of said elongated beams.

6. A rail track construction as claimed in claim 2 in which the upper surface of each of the elongated beams 1s provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced recesses therein, and in which said means for anchoring a traction rail along the upper surface of the elongated concrete beams of each row includes a resilient pad in each recess, a steel plate at least partially disposed in each recess, means anchoring said steel plate to the elongated beam, a resilient rail sheat carried on the upper surface of said steel plate and having a rail base flange-receiving cavity, and oppositely disposed rail clips bearing against opposite sides of said rail seat and anchored to said elongated beam through said steel plate and said resilient pad.

7. A rail construction as defined in claim 6 wherein said steel plate in each of said recesses is provided with an upturned flange along at least part of each of its longitudinal edges, said flanges being arranged to engage the outermost portion of said rail clip.

8. A rail construction as defined in claim 7 wherein each steel plate is provided with at least a second upturned flange along each longitudinal edge, said second upturned flange being arranged inwardly of the first flange and adapted to engage the outermost portion of said rail seat.

9. A rail track construction as defined in claim 6 wherein said rail clip is a spring steel clip having a lip portion for engaging said rail seat, said lip portion extending into an upper curved body portion connected by a reversely curved portion to a flat base portion having an upwardly extending portion for hearing against the rail seat adjacent the rail base, an inwardly turned flange portion extending from the upper end of said upwardly extending portion, said clip having aligned bolt holes in its upper body portion and base portion, a bolt extending through said holes and anchored in said elongated beam, and said inwardly turned flange having a length suflicient to engage a bolt through said bolt holes when said clip is bolted down.

10. A rail plate for use in the combination of a traction rail, a rail seat having a base flange-receiving cavity for receiving the base flange of the rail, a supporting structure for supporting the rail, and generally opposed rail clips for anchoring the rail to the supporting structure from opposite sides of the rail, said rail pl-ate being positioned between the rail seat and the supporting structure and having an area sulficient to cover the bottom of the rail seat and the rail clips, said nail plate having a pair of spaced upwardly extending rail plate flanges, said flanges being adapted to respectively engage the outermost portion of the rail clips.

11. A rail plate as claimed in claim 10 including a second pair of upturned flanges spaced inwardly of each of the first-mentioned upwardly extending flanges, said second pair of upturned flanges defining a groove for receiving the rail seat therebetween.

12. A rail track construction as claimed in claim 2 in which said means for anchoring a traction rail along the upper surface of the elongated concrete beams of each row includes a plurality of steel plates longitudinally spaced along the upper surface of the beams, means anchoring each of said steel plates to the elongated beams, a resilient rail seat carried on the upper surface of each of said plates and having a rail base flange-receiving cavity and oppositely disposed rail clips bearing against opposite sides of said rail seat and anchored to said elongated be-am through said steel plate.

13. A rail track construction as claimed in claim 2 in which each of said elongated concrete beams has a male end and a female end and in which said male ends abut said female ends whereby sidewise movement of one elongated beam with respect to another is eliminated.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,264,616 4/1918 Decker 238-265 1,337,621 4/1920 Randall 238280 1,572,131 2/1926 Etheridge 23825 1,793,901 2/1931 Bonner 23825 2,110,894 3/1938 Stedman 238-302 2,174,229 9/1939 Rosselli 23 8287 2,480,388 8/1949 Sonneville 238-349 2,531,577 11/1950 McGreW 238-349 2,719,676 10/ 1955 Prater 238-24 2,750,118 6/1956 Hastings et al 23825 FOREIGN PATENTS 5,016 8/1901 Austria. 507,741 12/1951 Belgium.

EUGENE G. BOTZ, Primary Examiner. LEO QUACKENBUSH, Examiner. 

1. IN A RAIL TRACK CONSTRUCTION FOR SUPPORTING TRACTION RAILS ON A ROAD BED, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: SPACED ROWS OF ELONGATED PRECAST REINFORCED CONCRETE BEAMS SUPPORTED ON THE ROAD BED, EACH OF THE ROWS HAVING THE ELONGATED BEAMS THEREIN ARRANGED IN ABUTTING END-TO END RELATIONSHIP, SAID ELONGATED BEAMS HAVING INTERENGAGING MALE AND FEMALE ENDS FOR PREVENTING SIDEWISE MOVEMENT OF ONE BEAM WITH RESPECT TO ANOTHER, EACH OF SAID ELONGATED BEAMS HAVING AN UPPER SURFACE, A BOTTOM SURFACE RESTING ON SAID ROAD BED, AND FLAT INSIDE WALL PORTIONS THAT SLOPE DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY; A PLURALITY OF PRECAST CONCRETE ACROSS BEAMS, EACH OF THE CROSS BEAMS HAVING A TOP SURFACE, A BOTTOM SURFACE, AND OPPOSITELY DISPOSED ENDS WHICH ARE CONTINUOUS BETWEEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM SURFACES OF THE CROSS BEAMS, SAID ENDS SLOPING INWARDLY COMPLEMENTARY IN SLOPE TO THE DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY SLOPING INSIDE WALL PORTIONS OF THE ELONGATED BEAMS, SAID CROSS BEAMS BEING SPACED FROM EACH OTHER AND EACH EXTENDING BETWEEN OPPOSITELY DISPOSED DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY SLOPING INSIDE WALL PORTIONS OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED ELONGATED BEAMS IN THE SPACED ROWS OF ELONGATED BEAMS, MEANS FOR CONNECTING EACH CROSS BEAM TO SAID DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY SLOPING INSIDE WALL PORTIONS OF SAID OPPOSITELY DISPOSED ELONGATED BEAMS IN SAID SPACED ROWS SUCH THAT SAID BEAMS ENDS ABUT AGAINST SAID INSIDE WALL PORTIONS, AND MEANS FOR ANCHORING A TRACTION RAIL ALONG THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE ELONGATED CONCRETE BEAMS OF EACH ROW. 